Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Rainy days in Hawaii
Well, lucky me -- here for the worst weather in 20 years! It has rained every day with a couple of breaks here and there. Several sewer lines have broken on Oahu so some of the beaches are off limits for good reason. The rest of the beaches are muddy from so much discharge from the canals and the water is not its standard turquoise blue (more of a chocolate brown). I've spent a total of 2 hours on the beach! Yeesh. Fortunately, I came to visit my friends and didn't pay for my airline ticket. The weather should clear a bit by this weekend and be sunny again on Monday, the day I leave. I guess I'm at low risk for melanoma.
It's been great hanging out with Molly and the Riverstones. We did some hiking and lots of cooking and game-playing. Henry is a whiz at games and usually beats us at Go Fish, Parcheesi, and Yahtzee.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Aloha from Oahu!
I am feeling so very fortunate to be visiting my very good friends in Oahu right now. My friends Lyn, Mike, and Henry Riverstone are living in Honolulu while Lyn teaches at the University of Hawaii temporarily. My friend Molly Martyn is in Honolulu doing her physical therapy clinicals for her masters degree. Given that all these great friends are here at the same time, I couldn't resist cashing in my airline miles and coming to visit!!!!
Despite the fact that the islands are getting the most rain in the last 20 years, we are having a great time. I am even sunburned. We have visited the beach at Waikiki, the Honolulu Art Museum, and are hiking at Makapuu today. I also enjoyed my first sushi meal!
A hard rain last night filled the canal that runs along the side of the Riverstone's apartment complex. The canal is 9 feet deep and eventually filled, flooding the first floor below us and the neighboring houses. It was bizarre to stand on the balcony and see a river rushing beneath us!
The flowers and birds here are so amazing! There is bougainvillea, plumeria, and hibiscus everywhere. I love seeing the plants we consider indoor house plants growing outside. There is a poinsettia outside by the pool!
Despite the fact that the islands are getting the most rain in the last 20 years, we are having a great time. I am even sunburned. We have visited the beach at Waikiki, the Honolulu Art Museum, and are hiking at Makapuu today. I also enjoyed my first sushi meal!A hard rain last night filled the canal that runs along the side of the Riverstone's apartment complex. The canal is 9 feet deep and eventually filled, flooding the first floor below us and the neighboring houses. It was bizarre to stand on the balcony and see a river rushing beneath us!
The flowers and birds here are so amazing! There is bougainvillea, plumeria, and hibiscus everywhere. I love seeing the plants we consider indoor house plants growing outside. There is a poinsettia outside by the pool!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Almost-Spring in Oregon...
It's been lovely around here! We've had some clear days with gorgeous shots of the Cascade Mountain Range, like this view of Mt. Hood at sunset. This weather is getting folks out and about. Today Julie and Dave went hiking at Drift Creek (okay, really Dave is wearing Julie's pack to intentionally look like a slouch).
